Release-hook



A. E. FREEMAN.

RELEASE HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-12, I918.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

] are L Z07 PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. FREEMAN, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

RELEASE-HOOK.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented A11 2 1, 1920.

Application filed November 12, 1918. Serial No. 262,153.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toronto, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Release-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in releasehooks such as are used in connection with life boats, for releasing the life boatquickly and surely at the proper time from the pulley block at the lower end of the clavit falls, whether or not the life boat is wholly or partially water borne. The invention is also adapted to be used in connection with a release hook suspended from a traveling crane. This invention relates particularly to that portion of the device which releases the rope or tackle which may be in engagement therewith. The invention consists in the combination and 'arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification, and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a boat with my improved release hooks and mechanism for operating the same attached thereto.

Fig. '2 is a side elevation partly broken away, and showing the release hook and mechanism for operating it.

Fig. 3 is an edge elevation, as viewed from the right of Fig. 2.

Fig. .4; is a sectional elevation taken on line 4:l, Fig. 1 i

Fig. stud.

Fig. 6 is a detail view on an enlarged scale broken away and illustrating the operation of the release hook and locking stud.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation ofa modified form of my improved release hook, showing the same as it is adapted to be used in connection with a traveling crane.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, 10 is a boat of a usual and well known type. At each end of said boat is fastened one of my improved release hooks 11. The release hook 11 has two arms 12 and 13, and is mounted intermediate said arms on a pivot 14 which is fast to a holder 15. The holder 15 is fastened to the boat by bolts 16.

5 is a detail elevation of the locking The hook 12 engages a clevis 17, which is pivotally attached in the usual manner to a pulley block 18, through which the davit falls 19 extend.

The lower end of the arm 13 is provided with a circular aperture 20 and with an open ended passage 21 leading out of said aperture.

The locking stud 22 is rotatably mounted on the support 15 and has a portion thereof acts as a counter-balance to position the stud 22 as illustrated Fig. 2, that is, with the flatted portion thereof extending trans; versel of the passage 21, and when in that position, locking the release hook in operative position. The holder 15 has a back plate 25 and two side plates 26 and 27 and said stud is held against longitudinal movement therein by a washer 28 and nut 29. The handle 24 has a projection 30 thereon, which is adapted to engage an arm 31., loosely mounted on the stud 22, thus said arm forms a stop for the handle 21 and positions the stud 22 in operative position or transversely of the passage 21 to lock the book 11 against rotation on the pivot 14:. The arm 31 is connected by a rod 32 to a bell crank lever 33, pivoted at'34c to a bracket 35, fast to the boat 10. Another rod 36 connects the bell crank lever 33 to an arm 37 which is fastened to a rock shaft 38, mounted upon brackets 39, which are fastened to the boat l0. Said rock shaft has attached thereto an arm 40, by means of which it may be manually operated. The rock shaft 38 is connected to arms 31 at its opposite ends by like parts. namely by the arms 37, rods 36, bell crank levers 33 and rods 32, so that the release hooks can be operated simultaneously or independently as hereinafter more fully set forth.

A guard arm l0 is pivoted at 11 to the side plates 26 and 27 of the holder 15 and normally rests upon a pin 42, fast to the holder 15 and this prevents any accidental disengagement of the pulley block clevis from the hook arm 12.

The general operation of the device hereinbeiore'specifically described is as follows:

Assuming the boat to have been lowered to such a point that it is desirable to disconnect the same from the davit talls,and it is desired to operate both release hooks simultaneously, the operator lifts the arm 40 which rocrs the rock shaft 33 in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 4. T his pulls downwardly upon the rods 36 and rocks the bell crank levers 33, thus pulling the rods 32 in the proper direction to rock the arms 31, which being" in engagement with the projections 30 on the respective handles 24, tips said handles from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown in dotted lines therein, and thus rocks the locking stud 22 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a position in alinement with the passage 20. As soon as this happens the release hook 11 will be tipped upon its pivot 14, by reason of the pull upon the hook arm 12 exerted by the clevis 17, pulley block 18 and davit falls 19, until said hook arm 12 is tipped into aposition to allow the clevis 17 to become disengaged therefrom and the boat will then be released at its opposite ends simultaneously.

Now if it is desired to release one endot the boatindependently of the other, which oftentimes is desirable, due to the different conditions which occur in practice, this. may be accomplished by moving the handle 24 upwardly in the direction of the arrow B, Fig. 2, and thus the stud will be rocked as hereinbefore described, to release the hook arm and disengage the hook 12 from the clevis. As soon as the boat has become disengaged from the clevis the handles 24 will drop back to their normal position, as for example in Fig. 2, the

handle 24 Wlll drop back until the projec tion 30 engages the arm 31, and when in this position-referring now to Fig. 6-the hook arm 13 will drop downwardly until the projection 43 on the arm 13 engages one flatted side of the stud 22, and the parts are so arranged that this projection 43 will enpage the flatted side of the stud 22 between the center and periphery of the stud, so that if pressure is brought to bear upon the arm 13 the projection 43 will cause the stud 22 to rotate until it assumes-a position in alinement with the passage 21, whereupon the arm 13 will move into the position illustrated in Fig. 2 and the arm 24 will drop from the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2 to the position shown in full lines, thus causing the stud 22 to again lock the hook 11 in operative position.

It will be seen that the edge 44 of the projection 43 is substantially con-centric with the pivot 14 and that the projection 43 extends to a considerable distance out wardly beyond that portion 45 or" the arm 13 which forms the opposite edge of the passage 20. Thus it will be seen that the studs 22 may be rocked simultaneously to operate the release hooks or they may he independently rocked by their respectir handles 24, orthey may be independently rocked by means of the arms 13 with their respective projections 43 by pressing the arms as hereinbefore set forth against their respective studs 22 at the iiatted portion thereof.

Referring now to Fig. 7, this form of my invention is intended to be used as a carrying; hook especially adapted to be used in connection with traveling cranes and in this form of my invention a support 46 is provided, upon which is a hook 4T integral therewith. The support 46 has a U shaped extension 48 at its upper end, which can be suspended from a chain leading to a traveling crane. The release hook 49 in this form of my invention is substantially the same as that described in relation to the form or my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, and consists of two arms 50 and 51 which are held in operative position by a locking stud 52 in the same manner as hereinbeiore described, said locking stud being provided with a handle or operating arm 53, which has a card 54 attached thereto hy means of which it may be operated. The arm 53 is provided with a stop which when the device is in the position illustrated in Fig. 7 rests against one side ot the support 46, and the stud 52 is then positioned to lock the hook 49 in operative position.

A sling- 56 is connected at one end thereof to the hook 47 and at the other end to the hook arm 50, and intermediate its two ends, it forms a bight to engage the object which it is desired to transport from one location to another by means of a traveling crane. When the crane has arrived at a position where it is desired to drop the article carried by the sling, the operator of the crane pulls upwardly upon the cord 54 until the stop 55 engages the extension 48-and thus rotates the locking stud 52 until it is positioned to release the hook 50 and allow one end of the sling 56 to drop and release the article carried by said sling. In this manner the operator of the traveling crane can drop the load carried by the sling 56 and sage bein of the locking stud 22 simultaneously contacts with the walls of the circular aperture in the arm 13, so that thepressure of the hook arm 13 upon the stud is equal upon diametrically opposite sides of said stud, making it very easy .to rotate said locking stud when it is desired to unlock the release hook therefrom, and also in the operation of the device bringing an equal pressure to bear upon opposite sides of the stud.

W hat I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. A device of the character described, having in combination, a holder, a pivot 011 said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, and a locking stud rotatably mounted on said support and having a por tion thereof projecting into the said aper ture and flatted, the least width of said pasgreater than the least distance across saiu stud portion and less than the greatest distance acrosssaid stud'portion.

2. A device of the character described, having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, a locking stud rotatably mounted on said support and having a portion thereof projecting into the said aperture and flatted, the least width of said passage being greater than the least distance across said stud portion and less than the greatest distance across said stud portion and means to rotate said stud, whereby said flatted portion may be brought into alinement with said passage and said hook allowed to rotate.

S. A device of the'character described, having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on. said pivot one ofsaid hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, a locking stud rotatably mounted on said support and having a portion there of projecting into the said aperture and flatted, the least width of said passage being greater than the least distance across said stud portion and less than the greatest distance across said stud portion, and a handle fast to said stud whereby said stud may be rotated and said flatted portion may be brought into alinement with said passage and said hook allowed to rotate.

A. device of the character described, having in combination, a holder, a'pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, a locking stud rotatably mounted on said support and having a portion thereof projecting into the said aperture and flatted,

. the least width of said passage being greater than the least distance across said stud portion and less than the greatest distance across said stud portion, and means to normally position said stud with the fiatted portion thereof extending transversely of said passage.

5. A device of the character described, having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, a locking-stud rotatably mounted on said support and having a portion thereof projecting into the said aperture and flatted, the least width of said passage being greater than the least distance across said stud portion and less than the greatest distance across said stud portion, a counter-weight fast to said stud, and a stop adapted to position said stud with the fiatted portion thereof extending transversely of said passage.

6. A device of the character described, having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having twovarms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, a locking stud rotatably mounted on said support and having a portion thereof projecting into the said aperture and flatted, the least width of said passage being greater than the least distance across said stud portion and less than the greatest distance across said stud portion, a counterweight fast to said stud and a stop adapted to position said stud either transversely of said passage or in alinement therewith.

7. A device of the character described, having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, and a cylindrical locking stud rotatably mounted on said support and having a portion thereof projecting into the said aperture and fiatted, the least width of said passage being greater than the least distance across said stud portion and less than the greatest distance across said stud portion, the periphery of said stud outside said flatted portion fitting said circular aperture.

8. A device of the character described,

having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture,

.a locking stud rotatably mounted on said sage, and a projection on said apertured hook arm adapted to engage said stud and rotate the same, and position said flatted portion in alinement with said passage.

9. A device of the character described, having in combinatlon, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, a locking stud rotatably mounted on said support and having a portion thereof projecting into the said aperture and flatted, the least width of said passage being greater than the least distance across said stud portion and less than the greatest distance acrosssaid' studportion,and an arm loosely mounted on said stud and adapted to engage and rotate said handle.

f 10. A device of the character described, having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, one of said hook arms being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, a locking stud 'rotatably mounted on said support and having a portion thereof proiecting into the said aperture and flatted,

the least width of said passage being greater 7 than'the least distance across said stud-portion and less than the greatest distance across said stud portion, a handle fast to said stud, an arm loosely mounted on said stud adapted to be engaged by said handle andconstituting a stop therefor, and means to position said arm whereby said stud may be positioned with the fiatted portion thereof extending transversely of said passage.

11. A device of the character described having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on said pivot, a locking stud rotatably mounted on said holder'and adapted normally to engage one of said hook arms and hold said hook in operative position, said hook adapted to be released by a partial rotation of said stud and said stud adapted to be subsequently operated by said hook arm to again lock said hook in operative position, with the diametrically opposite sides of said stud contacting with said hook arm.

12. A device of the character described, having in combination, a holder, a pivot on said holder, a hook mounted on said pivot and means to lock said hook against rotation on said pivot, said hook being adapted to be manually operated to cause said locking means to engage it on diametrically opposite sides thereof and lock the same against rotation on said pivot.

13. In combination, a boat, a pair of hooks located at opposite ends of said boat, a, holder for each of said hooks fast to said boat, a pivot on each of said holders, each of said hooks having two arms and mounted intermediate said arms on one of said pivots, one of the arms of each hook being provided with a circular aperture and with an open ended passage leading out of said aperture, a locking stud rotatably mounted on each of said holders and having a portion thereof projecting into its respective aperture and flatted, the least width of each of said passages being greater than the least distance across its respective stud portion and less than the greatest distance across its respective stud portion, and means to simultaneously rock said studs to release said hooks simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR E. FREEMAN. Witnesses:

CHARLES S. GooDING, FRANKLIN E. Low. 

